I refer to the letter from Christine Loh, undersecretary for the environment ("Government plans to increase recycling rate and reduce waste", January 2), on waste and the need for additional landfills.

I hope she fully understands her role with regard to protection of our environment.

Further doubts have been raised over the water quality near a proposed artificial beach in Tai Po after an environmental group found sea snails with defective sex organs - signalling the presence of a toxic chemical.

Simon Li - It's already a common fact that the older generation speaks better English than the younger ones. Just ask the Western tourists in Hong Kong, they'll give you a very good picture. They all end up very surprised to find that the younger Hkers have a poorer grasp of English, until they find out the reason.

The mixed reactions to Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying's decision to go ahead with his predecessor's plans to create an artificial public beach in an ecologically sensitive area in Tai Po are to be expected. For nature lovers, the 200-metre-long sandy beach at Lung Mei is no doubt a disaster to the endangered species found in its habitat.

The government on Thursday staged a high-profile defence against environmentalists who oppose the construction of an artificial beach on an ecologically rich shoreline in Tai Po. At a press conference chaired by Secretary for Home Affairs Tsang Tak-sing and Undersecretary for the Environment Christine Loh Kung-wai, the government vowed to create a “win-win” package – both a new beach and complete conservation of the surrounding environment.